George Irvine's Blog

Local gardening expert George Irvine presents handy information
and tips to ensure your garden is in perfect condition all
year.

To contact George directly please call 01475
633422. If you wish to contact George by email his address
is irvinegd@aol.com

March 11th 2015

Start Your Growing Season with Plug Plants.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, the first of the season's
starter and plug plants are now on sale at Cardwell Garden
Centre.

A few days ago I took myself along to have a look at what was on
offer and I must say I was pleasantly surprised at the variety,
price and quality of what I saw. First of all, there are the
starter plants of some of the popular summer bedding plants which
are ideal for growing in the borders and for decorating a container
or large planter. Some examples of these are Petunias, Verbena,
Geraniums, Fuchsias and lastly, one of my favourites - Bacopa.

All of the above are available as large starter plants in
individual small mesh pots and cost only £1.29 each - or any 8 for
£9 which I think is a pretty good price for these good quality
plants.

In addition to these individual plants there are small cell
trays containing 20 little plug plants in each tray with a range of
popular plants such as Begonias, Lobelia, petunias and Geraniums
and to name but a few and three trays of any variety will cost only
£12.

Turning our attention to vegetables, there are little four cell
trays of various tomato plants, hot peppers, chillies and sweet
peppers.

One great advantage of buying your plug plants at a local garden
centre is that you see the quality and condition of what you are
buying, which is something that you do not achieve when purchasing
plants by mail-order. Moreover, there is no costly carriage charge
involved and there is no chance of your precious little plants
getting damaged in transit.

It is important, however, that once you buy these little plants,
you need to start growing them on, by potting them up into larger
pots or multi-cell trays and continue the growth until the time is
ripe to plant the more mature plants out into the garden. To do
this you will need to have a heated greenhouse or some other place
that is frost-free and has plenty of light. The little plugs cannot
be left in the little trays for too long otherwise their growth
will cease.

When potting up your small plants use fresh, good quality
compost and make sure all your pots and trays are clean. It is also
a good idea to take the bags of compost into the greenhouse for a
few days before you begin, so that the compost gets to reach the
same temperature as the greenhouse. Similarly, do the same with
water in your watering can.

It's Time to Prune Your Roses.

Now that we are in the month of March, it is time to get out the
secateurs and give your rose bushes their Spring prune. Roses are
quite vigorous growers and benefit from some hard pruning at this
time of year. Begin by cutting out any damaged branches and also
prune out any stems which are growing inwards. Ideally, what you
want to achieve is a nice open bush which is not congested in the
centre.

Cut down to near ground level and prune to an outward facing
bud. Once you have finished pruning, do take time to gather up all
your cut stems and fallen leaves and remove them from the soil.
Failure to do this will result in spores of black spot getting into
the soil and then splashing back up onto the leaves when it rains
heavily.

leaves when it rains heavily.

Finish off this task by rakes in some granular rose fertiliser -
or even a handful of bone meal - around the base of each bush. As
each bush starts to grow make a point of spraying the bushes with
some 'Rose Clear' to prevent - or minimise - the formation of
black spot and rust.

Getting a Head Start with Dahlias.

If you have dahlia tubers that you lifted in the autumn and over
wintered in a frost-free location, then now is the ideal time to
start them off into growth for the coming summer. Begin by checking
each tuber and discard any that are showing signs of decay. You can
also trim any fine roots that appear to be too fragile, but do not
cut away any that seem nice and healthy.

The tubers can then be spaced out on a tray containing fresh
compost or peat which has been previously watered. Alternatively,
you can place the tubers into individual pots containing moist
compost and then place them in a warm place on greenhouse bench and
keep them in good light. The same procedure can be adopted if you
are buying new dahlia tubers.

Once growth begins you will notice small green shoots starting
to appear from the various little 'eyes' on the tuber. Once the
shoots are a couple of inches long, you can cut these off with a
nice sharp knife and then root each cutting in a pot containing
cutting compost. Once the cuttings have rooted, these can be potted
up into small pots and grown on until ready to plant outdoors in
early June. Not only do you get more plants, but you will also get
better flowers.

March 1st 2015

Combat the Chill.

Now that March has dawned this month will see us all getting
more and more involved in raising our new plants and crops for the
coming summer months and here are just a few tips to help you on
your journey towards success.

It is best to take all your bags of compost into the greenhouse,
or move them into your garden shed to avoid the compost
getting chilled. In many cases seeds can fail to germinate because
the compost is too cold, so it is better to let it warm up a little
in the shed or greenhouse before you start.

Another useful item to make sure you have to hand is garden
fleece. You can use this to cover young plants and seedling at
night when the temperature might fall quite low. My advice is to
keep an eye on the weather forecast and if the forecast predicts
that the mercury might fall to four degrees or lower, cover all
your plants and remove the fleece in the morning. If really cold
temperatures are forecast simply double the fleece over to provide
an extra layer. Garden fleece can be obtained at Cardwell where a
wide range is available.

The corms can be started into growth now by placing the tuber or
corm into a tray of moist compost, making sure that you place the
corm with the concave side - uppermost and facing you. Keep the
tray in a warm place with some light available and you will soon
see new shoots sprouting from the eyes on the corm. Once these have
grown an inch or so you can move the tuber into an individual
pot.

Understanding Your Soil.

One of important factors in successfully growing plants in your
garden lies in the state of your garden soil and over the next few
blogs I intend to devote some attention to this vital aspect of
gardening. In the meantime, if you have not yet dug your borders or
vegetable plot my advice is do not dig the soil if it is soaking
wet. Wait until the soil has dried and the task will not only be
easier but you will not compact the soil leading you to many other
problems. Be patient!

Begin Begonias this month.

If you want some really exotic flowers for your planters and
containers there is nothing to beat tuberous begonias.

These magnificent plants come in an array of colours and you can
buy new corms - or tubers - at Cardwell Garden Centre just now. I
would suggest that you take stroll along to Lunderston Bay over the
next couple of weeks choose the ones that take your fancy.

Some Little Tasks to Keep You Busy During March.

The beginning of March is the ideal time to sow seeds of Sweet
Peas. Start by sowing two or three seeds each in small pots, as
directed on the seeds packet. Once the seeds have germinated you
can transplant the young seedlings into deep pots or root-trainers
as sweet peas need a deep root system to grow well. Keep the plants
growing and pinch out the growing points to encourage the plant to
bush out.

February 6th 2015

First Early Potatoes are First for Flavour.

In my previous blog I wrote about seed potatoes which are now
appearing on the shelves at Cardwell and this week I want to deal
with some of the popular varieties in the 'First early' group of
these staple vegetables. Potatoes are quite easy to grow and you do
not even have to have a large vegetable plot to grow a nice crop of
tasty 'tatties'.

First Early potatoes are usually planted into the soil around
the beginning of April but a lot depends on the weather at that
time. However, you can also grow these varieties in bags and
containers and still get excellent results. Indeed, some really
keen gardeners will set out to plant their seed potatoes even
earlier by either planting them in containers or bags and keeping
them in the greenhouse or growing them in a polytunnel.

If you have never grown potatoes in bag before, I can tell you
that special bags can be obtained at Cardwell which will last you
for several years. They even come with Velcro flaps which make
harvesting a dawdle and also lets you have a sly look at how the
tubers are coming on if you are really either anxious or nosy. You
can also grow your own crop in a large tub - making sure there are
drainage holes in it- or even a black bin bag with the corners cut
away.

Some of popular varieties of early potatoes include well -known
names such as Rocket and Arran Pilot along with Red Duke of York
and Sharpe's Express. First Earlies should be ready for
harvesting around the end of June and these first new potatoes are
very delicious when lifted, washed under the tap and boiled for a
short time eaten with your meal. Rocket is well suited to growing
in bags and containers while Arran Pilot is a great salad potato.
Red Duke of York, which is a strain of the original Duke of York is
an oval red-skinned potato with moist, yellow flesh with a
superb flavour It is a good all-rounder but is excellent for
roasting. Epicure is another very popular potato being
white-skinned and having white flesh, and is the traditional
Ayrshire 'tattie'. It is especially good for growing in this part
of the country and is frost hardy too. It has a lovely floury
texture. Lastly, the variety called Winston is a popular exhibition
variety in white potato classes.

I hope you will find a potato to suit your needs, but do get
along and buy your chosen varieties as soon as possible before they
all get sold out. Keep your seed potatoes in a frost free place for
a few weeks before you need to start and chit them. I will write
more about 'chitting' in the coming weeks.

Take a Look at Stored Tubers

If you have Dahlia tubers and Begonia corms over-wintering in a
frost-free place, I would suggest that you take a look at them if
you have not already done so. Look out for ant tubers that
have become shrivelled up and dried out. If you find any such
items, give them a misting with a fine spray of water and return
them to their hibernating abode for the next few weeks. Similarly,
if you find any corms or tubers that have signs of rot, try and cut
off the rotted part and discard it. In another month you can
start them into growth, but meanwhile take action to stop any
rot.

Wisteria Needs Pruning

Wisteria is one of those climbers that you just cannot leave to
do it's own thing and expect to get good results from it. Pruning
at this time of the year is vital to keep the climber in shape,
otherwise it is sure to become a tangled mess. All the shoots that
produced last year's growth can be easily identified as the
thinnest growth on the plant and these shoots need to be cut back
to just two or three buds from their source. Wisteria can cope with
quite drastic pruning but try and only remove branches which are
growing outward or are growing in the wrong direction.

Tips to Combat the Frost

Now that we appear to be in the middle of the cold bleak
mid-winter, do take care of any plants that you may have
over-wintering in an unheated greenhouse. On cold nights when the
temperature is forecast to drop into the minus range, cover your
plants with a double layer of garden fleece which is obtainable at
Cardwell. This can be removed the next day unless the weather men
think the temperature will remain below zero.

January 30th 2015

Winter Pruning of Fruit Trees

Many plants and trees benefit from winter pruning and this task
should be undertaken during the first two months of the year. The
reason for doing this during January and February is that the sap
has not begun to rise within the tree.

Assuming that the weather is not too terrible, pruning can be
carried out on days when it is dry and relatively mild. But one
word of warning - before you start to run amok with the secateurs -
trees and bushes that were planted just within the last two years
probably do not need to be pruned this year.

Let's start with some of the soft fruit bushes such as
Blackcurrant, Gooseberry and Raspberry and their near relatives.
Raspberry canes which have borne fruit last year should be cut down
to soil level if this has not already been done. New cane will soon
start to grow and should be tied in as they grow.

Blackcurrant bushes need to have all the old wood which bore
last year's crop cut down to near soil level. This old wood will be
quite dark in colour. Also remove any damaged or dead wood along
with any weak or diseased wood.

Gooseberries, and red currants also need to have any broken or
dead growth removed. Cut all the side shoots back to about one to
three buds from the base and then shorten lateral branch tips by
about a quarter, cutting back to an outward-facing bud.

It is also important to clear away all the cuttings from the
soil and it will do no harm to rake in some fertiliser such as bone
meal or 'Growmore'

Now let's move on to tackle hard fruit such as apples and pears.
Begin by removing any broken branches including any that appear
weak or dead. I would also advocate removing any main branches that
have started to grow inwards towards the centre of the tree. The
next move is to shorten growth on the main branches by about a
third to an outward facing bud.

Once again, there is no harm in raking in some fertiliser and
you should also consider giving the trees a winter wash using a
proprietary tree wash obtainable from Cardwell. If you have not
already done so, you would be well advised to place grease bands
round the lower part of the trunk to deter winter moths.

In the
Aftermath of the Storms

In January we have experienced some really high gale-force winds
which have probably played havoc in your garden and there was
really not much we could do about it. However, once the winds have
abated a bit, it is best to take a stroll round the garden and
check if any stakes which were supporting tall plants and shrubs
have become loose. Should you find any, make sure that you
re-secure them. It is also advisable to take a look at any fencing
you have in the garden and check for signs of damage. Even if you
cannot carry out a repair at present you can take some action to
temporarily secure the fence until you can carry out a more
permanent repair

Remember, there may be more stormy weather to come...

You Can Be an Undercover Gardener Just Now.

With us still being in the middle of the cold bleak mid-winter
there is very little that we can do outdoors, but you can still get
to work indoors by starting planting some useful vegetables.
Indeed, some vegetables such as shallots and garlic can be started
into growth by planting into modular cell trays over the next few
weeks.. Modular cells trays are available in a variety of sizes
from Cardwell and with a little care can be re-used.

Shallots can be planted individually into each cell in the
modular tray using fresh good quality multi-purpose compost. Keep
the trays in a cold greenhouse or a cold-frame or even at a porch
window and by the time their roots fill the cell, it will be near
time to plant them outdoors. Similarly, garlic can be
planted in the same way. It is best to buy a couple of garlic bulbs
from the massive range of vegetable bulbs available from Cardwell
and then split these up into individual cloves. Plant each clove
into an individual cell in the modular tray, again using fresh good
quality multi-purpose compost. Keep the compost moist and water
only when required.

Let's Think About Potatoes.

Although it is far too early to be thinking about planting
'tatties' outdoors just now, it is important to begin to look at
what varieties of potatoes you will want to grow this year. Many
gardeners will no doubt opt for the few well-known varieties that
have been around for many years, but there are many more types of
potatoes that are equally as good - or even better- for flavour and
cropping.

You do not even have to have a vegetable plot to grow some nice
tasty 'tatties' as they will grow well in bags on the patio or in
large tubs and half-barrels. With just a little planning you can
enjoy eating your very own home-grown potatoes for quite a few
months of the year. Potatoes are available in various groupings
such as 'First Earlies', 'Second Earlies' and "Main Crop" which
means that you can enjoy eating them from late June through to
September and beyond. In the coming weeks, I will write a lot more
about the various varieties and how to grow them, but one bit of
advice - don't delay deciding what you want to grow - and make sure
you buy your seed potatoes early!

Don't Neglect Your House Plants.

No doubt some readers may have been lucky enough to have
received a gift of a house plant over the festive season and I'm
sure you will want to cherish that plant for quite a long time. The
important point is not to over-water any house plant especially at
this time of year. Just keep the compost moist and water about once
a week. In fact, make a day and a time each week when you will
water your plants. That way, you will not forget if you have
watered your plants

Also, on cold nights, remove any plants you have sitting against
the window so they don't get chilled.

December
10th

Are You Planning on Having a Real Christmas Tree This
Year?

Although there are many really nice artificial Christmas trees
around, there is something really good about celebrating Christmas
with a real natural tree. A real tree can form the focal point of
all your Christmas decorations both within your home or when placed
outdoors

When used within the house, the main drawback is the fact that a
real tree will tend to drop all it's needles causing quite a mess
on the floor, but this does not have to be the case. With just a
little bit of care and attention this can be avoided.

When choosing a real Christmas tree, aim to buy a cut tree or a
pot-grown tree. Avoid buying a containerised tree because these
trees are actually cut trees which have been put into a pot. This
means that the root loss they suffer when being dug up means they
will never survive. A pot grown tree is defined as a tree that has
spent all it's life growing in a pot.

By far the best and most common kind of Christmas tree is one
that is sold as a cut tree and there are a number of types to
choose from.

The traditional Christmas, tree is the Norwegian Spruce but
there are others which are much better and do not shed their leaves
so freely. For example, the Fraser Fir and the Lodge pole Pine are
two kinds of tree that are great to have in the home and are not
prone to needle drop as much as the Spruce trees. However,
the crème-de-la crème of Christmas trees is the Nordman Fir and all
of the trees mentioned here are available locally at Cardwell
Garden Centre. All the trees stocked at Cardwell are come from a
Scottish grower who often supplies trees to Downing Street and some
of the top London hotels.

When you buy a cut tree, take it home and then cut1 inchoff the
bottom of the trunk. Place the tree on a 'Tree stand' (you can get
one at Cardwell) which has a built in reservoir, but take care not
to place your tree beside a radiator or other source of heat.

Christmas trees are very thirsty and need to be topped up with
water every other day, but take care to have electrical wires or
lights clear of any danger of getting wet. Keep the tree watered
and it will last for a good few weeks.

If you need any further advice about your tree just ask the
specially trained staff at Cardwell Garden Centre when you are
purchasing your tree.

Poinsettia - Queen of the Christmas Plants.

Christmas would not be Christmas without having a Poinsettia to
enhance your Festive display indoors. Indeed, the Poinsettia is
often known as the plant of the Holy Night, and it really brings a
lovely splash of Christmas colour at this time of year.

Traditionally, Poinsettias have lovely scarlet red flower-heads,
but you can also get varieties which are coloured pink and some
which sport nice cream or white flower-heads.

There are many Poinsettia plants available just now and as well
as buying one for yourself, they also make great presents to give
to your friends and relatives for Christmas.

If you really want to get one of the best plants available, I
can tell you that you cannot do better than buy one which has been
grown in Scotland and there are lots of lovely Scottish
grown plants available at Cardwell Garden Centre.

Poinsettias grow to a height of between 12 and 18inches tall and
with just a little tender loving care they will flower from two
months up to six months - or even longer. The flowers - which are
really what are termed bracts - display the nice scarlet red, or
pink or creamy/white depending on the kind you choose, but the true
flowers are tiny yellow and appear in the centre of the flowerhead.
When choosing a plant try and get one where these tiny flowers in
the centre are unopened.

Poinsettias do not like colddraftsor cold wind, so when you are
buying one make sure that the plant and the pot are enclosed in a
nice cellophane sleeve. Also, do not scrimp on paying 5p for a
carrier bag as the carrier will help to protect tour purchase even
more. If you put the plant in the boot of your car, do not forget
to take it out when you reach home

Once you get home place the plant in a place where it will get
plenty of light and keep it away from draughts. Meanwhile,
take a trip along to Cardwell Garden Centre and see those
marvellous Scottish Grown Poinsettias for yourself.

In the Quest for Christmas Presents.

I mentioned to Santa what he thought would make ideal Christmas
presents for a gardening friend or relative and he told me
some ideas which I passed on to readers last week. Well he did
promise me that he would be back again this week with more
suggestions and I just managed to bump into him a few days ago as
he was returning from feeding his reindeers.

Well, the Big Man himself asked to tell readers that maybe they
could opt to buy a friend a nice bird table or a bird bath and he
said that his many feathered friends would simply love something
like that. If you put one in your garden you can be assured that
all the little birds are sure to come along and entertain you every
day.

Santa also said that you could help these little feathered
friends survive the cold and harsh winter months by buying your
gardener friends lots of nuts and bird seed and maybe some nice fat
balls too. Yes, the birdies will love them.

Cut Holly Now.

If you want some holly to add some festive decoration in the
home, I would advise that you cut some sprigs now rather than
later. If you delay cutting a few sprigs laden with nice red
berries you might find the birds get there before you and the
berries will be gone.

May 19th

Creating a Container Garden with Tubs, Troughs and Large
Planters.

With patios and hard landscaping becoming more and more popular,
many gardeners are opting to grow their plants in containers of
various kinds. Indeed, you can create a stunning display with just
a little thought.

However, one word of warning.- Plants growing in containers are
fully dependant on you, the gardener, for all their requirements
for water and feeding. Even if it has been raining, it may be that
all the water has not reached into the compost and watering will
still be needed to keep the plants healthy.

Let's start at the beginning. The container you choose must have
drainage holes in the bottom so that excess water can drain out
freely from the container. If the compost becomes water-logged the
roots of the plants could rot and in the winter months,
water-logged compost will freeze during periods of sub zero
temperatures and this may lead to ceramic pots cracking.

Once you have chosen your container and ensured that there are
adequate drainage holes in the bottom, the next step is to add a
layer of 'crock' to the bottom of the vessel. The term 'crock'is
used to cover such materials as stone chips or pebbles, but broken
up pieces of polystyrene can be used instead and you will need a
layer of at least a couple of inches of 'crock' on the bottom of
your tub, trough or planter

Having got these two important factors sorted out, the next
stage is to think about the compost you will use in your
container. The choice of compost really depends on what
plants you intend growing in the pot. If you are thinking of
growing a large shrub in a container, then it can be assumed that
the plant will be in the container for quite a long time - several
years, in some cases. Because of this, you will need compost,
designed to support the plant for a fair length of time and I would
suggest that you opt to use John Innes No.3 compost. This has added
grit to enhance drainage and allow sufficient air around the roots
of the plant and also contains a reasonable amount of feeding
too..

However, if you intend to plant shrubs such as Azaleas,
Rhododendrons, Acers or any other acid- loving plant, it is very
important that you use ericaceous compost.

On the other hand, if you simply wish to grow a medley of summer
bedding plants in a container - and you can create some stunning
displays with these- then you can probably get away with using any
good quality multi-purpose compost. When choosing the brand you
want to use, bear in mind that cheaper composts may not
always give you the best results. You get what you pay
for, as the old saying goes.

Next week, I will give some further advice on growing in
containers.

Time is Ripe to Buy your Bedding Plants, Shrubs and Vegetable
Plants.

It is Mid-May and over the coming weeks many gardeners will be
thinking about purchasing their bedding plants and maybe a few new
shrubs or perennial plants to grace their borders and beds fro the
coming summer months.

Local gardeners are extremely fortunate in that one of the
largest supplies of these new plants lies right on their doorstep
at Cardwell Garden Centre down at Lunderston Bay.

Not only do Cardwell Garden Centre have the biggest selection of
plants in the West of Scotland but most of these plants are
grown in Scotland - with a large number grown in their own
nursery,- and they are fully hardy for our local climate.

As well as bedding plants, Cardwell boast an excellent array of
vegetable plants, herbs, fruit trees and bushes together with a
wide variety of accessories such as composts, chemicals and garden
tools. There is also a wide variety of garden furniture, barbecues
and all you need to make your garden come alive for the summer
season.

My advice to all our readers is simply this, take a trip along
to Cardwell and see for yourself. You will be amazed at the quality
of what is on offer and most items are moderately priced too.
The expert and friendly staff are always prepared to help you find
what you are looking for. All you have to do, is ask them.

Why Not Grow Some Herbs.

Herbs are becoming more and more popular in our culinary
exploits and indeed, the medical profession are always telling us
to cut down in the amount of salt that we use in our food. Adding
herbs not only enhances the flavour of our food, but it is the
healthier option. One of the easy ways to get your herbs is to grow
your own, rather than but them at the supermarket. Next week, I
will give you some advice on growing some the popular herbs which
are easy to grow and do not need a lot of space in your
garden.

May12th

A Shrub to Bring Gardens Ablaze With Colour.

After a touch of sunshine a few weeks ago, many gardens have
become alive with colour thanks to Pieris which is blooming away
like mad with masses of bright red and orange bloom.

Indeed, Pieris is a splendid shrub which will succeed in almost
any garden where the soil is acidic. With evergreen foliage which
is dense all year round the plant comes alive with long sprays of
bloom during May which looks similar to Lily of the Valley but the
new growth is usually bright red.

This slow growing shrub needs little attention during the year
but benefit from a mulch with peat every spring.

Among the popular varieties are Forest Flame and you can also
get varieties which have variegated foliage. Pieris Katsura
is another type which has deep pink flowers and the new leaves are
deep wine in colour but later turn green.. Another variety worth
growing is Little Heath which sports cream coloured variegated
leaves and bronze-red coloured foliage when young.

Generally, Pieris does not need any pruning but remove dead
flowers at the end of May each year. Shading from morning sun
is often beneficial but not absolutely necessary.

Add plenty of peat to the soil when planting.

Composting All Your Garden Waste is Easy.

As this is International Compost Awareness Week, it is
appropriate to think about some of the advantages of turning your
waste products into something useful for your garden.

You can do this by using,or obtaining a compost bin but if you
do not have one, you can easily construct a compost heap outdoors
by simple making a frame and some wire mesh.

Some local authorities actually give away compost free of charge
to gardeners, but before you get carried away, bear in mind that
this is not the same material as the compost you buy in garden
centre for raising your own plants and potting up plants in
containers.

Home made compost is only really suitable as a soil conditioner
- particularly in clay soils - where you have to dig it well into
the soil. It can also be good to use as a mulch around shrubs and
plants to suppress weeds and prevent water loss due to
evaporation.

To make your own compost you can use kitchen waste such as
vegetable peelings and you can also add grass cuttings and annual
weeds and used container and gro-bag compost. Hedge trimmings are
also good and you can also add shredded paper and cardboard and old
egg boxes.

Do not add, on any account, cooked food or food scraps as this
will encourage rats and other vermin. Also avoid adding roots of
perennial weeds or plants affected by disease, or weeds that have
flowered and set seed. If you have treated you lawn with a
selective weed-killer, refrain from composting the first grass
cuttings, as the active ingredients of the weed-killer
are not always broken down in the composting process.

Leave all the materials in your compost bin to rot down over a
long period - the longer the better - but you can add a compost
accelerator which you can obtain from any garden centre- to speed
up the process.

You can site your compost bin - which has no base - on any piece
of ground, but I find that putting it on a slab or concrete base
will certainly prevent vermin from getting into the bin. It is also
beneficial to turn over the contents of your compost bin from time
to time to allow the waste products to compost better.

Make sure that all the waste has been well composted and rotted
down before you apply the material to your garden as a mulch or
soil conditioner. If the compost has not fully broken down, it will
use up Nitrogen - which is essential fro plant growth - to help
complete the composting process. In such cases, your plants will
suffer.

Don't Forget the Weeds.

As the weather warms up, weeds are starting to make their
presence noticeable in our borders and vegetable patches, Now is
the best time to get rid of them before you start planting out your
new plants. The young annual weeds can be removed easily with the
hoe, but larger weeds can be killed off by treating the with a
weed-killer containing Glyphosate. Round-Up is a well known product
containing Glyphosate which is a systemic weed-killer which means
it is absorbed by the leaves and travels right through the weed to
the roots and kills them. Round-up is then rendered safe in the
soil and does not damage any other plants.

April 12th

Branching Out with Brassicas in the Vegetable Plot.

Vegetables of the Brassica family include such succulent species
such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and brussel sprouts.
Brassica plants are extremely hardy plants and many can survive in
the soil well into winter, making them very useful crops for the
kitchen to last for many months.

Before you embark on growing these vegetables it is best to
consider what ones you will really want to use in the kitchen and
often it is best to grow a small number of different varieties.
Take cabbage, for example, there are summer varieties and winter
types such as Savoy which will keep you supplied with plenty of
green vegetables over a long period of time. There is even a red
variety of cabbage which can be pickled or even used as a
delightful change to your normal culinary skills. It is worth
planting maybe just a dozen of each variety rather than plant
dozens of the one kind.

Broccoli and Kale will stand very well right through the winter
months and you can harvest them just when required. Brussel sprouts
is another crop which has a long growing cycle and they taste much
sweeter once they have had a touch of frost before harvesting -
ideal for picking for your Christmas dinner.

Brassicas can be grown from seed, but if you only require
smaller quantities you can buy plants which are ready for planting
out in the garden just now. Cardwell Garden Centre now have quite a
range of these vegetable plants in stock, just ready for planting
out now.

Vegetables of the brassica family grow best in a neutral or
slightly alkaline soil. If you are in any doubt about the pH of
your soil, you can buy an inexpensive soil testing kit from our
garden centre and a simple test will let you know the state of
acidity or alkalinity in your soil.

It is usually best to increase alkalinity of the soil using lime
- two or three ounces per square yard - as this also prevents club
root. Brassicas do not like dry soil, so water regularly
especiallyin dry spells of weather. Over the coming weeks, I will
give more detailed hints on vegetable growing.

More Lessons on Lawncare.

Over the past few weeks quite a number of readers have remarked
to me that they have followed my articles on removing moss and have
been really surprised at the amount of dead moss they have raked
out from their lawn. Indeed, most of them are now tackling the
restoration of the bare patches by sowing grass seed over them.
When reseeding your lawn it advisable to use a slightly higher
quantity than the packet suggests as some of the seed may be eaten
by wild birds or rodents.

Many lawns will benefit from a tidy up of the edges, and indeed
nicely trimmed edges certainly enhance the look of your lawn, Do
this using a half-moon edging tool rather than using a spade, since
many spades have slightly curved edges. Use a straight edge to
guide you, along with the half-moon edging tool, and you will
certainly make your lawn look really amazing.

Avoiding the Perils of Pricking Out.

Gardeners who opt for raising their plants from seed find
themselves faced with the task of pricking out the young seedlings
and planting these into small pots or cell trays to grow on.

This job needs some tender care, especially when handling the
tender young plants. Handle them by their leaves and not the stem,
as this can cause bruising and other damage to the plants.
When planting into pots or modular cell trays ensure that you plant
deep enough so that the leaves are just above the level of the
soil. Doing this will ensure good strong plants rather than have
them growing weak and straggly. Water them using tap water which
has been acclimatised to the temperature of the greenhouse. Avoid
using rainwater to water your plants at this stage of growth.

Give Established Hedges a Treat.

Many hedges are looking just a tad sad after the ravages of
winter, and given the high rainfall last year, many hedges might be
in need of a little bit of nutrition. If you feel your hedge is
looking a little bit under the weather, rake in some bone meal
around the base of the hedge. This should provide a bit of feeding
to last the hedge over the next couple of years.

Frost Protection is Vital.

Over the next week or two summer bedding plants will be making
their appearance in many retail outlets and garden centres. It is
worth noting that summer bedding plants are not frost hardy and
therefore should be protected from frost until late May or early
June in this area.Frost protection fleece is ideal for this and can
easily put on at night. It should be removed in the morning so as
to avoid an unwanted build up of moisture which can lead to fungal
growth on your plants.

April
5th

Gardens are Springing into to Growth

There is little doubt that there is signs of plenty of new
growth in our gardens over the past few weeks.. Hedges are
sprouting nice new green shoots and I have noticed Cotoneasters are
beginning to flower.

With extra hours of daylight since the clocks moved forward a
couple of weeks ago and the daytime temperatures starting to
increase it is little wonder that things are coming alive in our
beloved borders. Of course, the copious amounts of rain are also
helping things along, albeit that the rain is keeping gardeners
indoors on more than just a few days.

With all this happening before our very eyes, the grass is
really starting to grow - sufficient to beckon us to get the
lawnmower out from it's winter storage.. However, the lawns
are still quite soggy, so it is best to use a bit of caution before
jumping in too quickly and creating more problems in the
garden.

When giving the grass it's first cut of the year, try to choose
a day when there has not been too much rain beforehand and raise
the blades of the lawnmower to their highest setting, so that you
don't cut too short. After all the winter's rain there
is sure to be plenty of moss covering the lawn and this
often results in the grass being killed off as the moss takes over.
Indeed, moss needs to be removed to allow the grass to
flourish.

Moss occurs because of one of two problems. Poor drainage is
often the major cause but also the acidity of the underlying soil
can often contribute to an epidemic of moss forming on the lawn.
Spiking over the lawn with a hollow-tined tool - or even a garden
fork - will certainly improve the drainage problem. Once you have
done this, brush some fine grit or sharp sand into the holes and
this will help enormously. It is also beneficial to extract a few
cores of soil from the lawn and test the pH of the underlying soil.
If it is too acid you can solve this by applying some garden
lime.

Over the coming weeks I will continue to deal with lawn problems
and offer ideas to get your grass looking good for the summer.

It's Wake Up Time for Houseplants.

Most of your house plants which you have been over-wintering
indoors are ready to wake up from their dormancy at this time of
year. This means that they will be starting to produce new growth
and therefore they will need a little bit more water to support the
fresh leaves, stems and flowers soon to emerge.

It is often recommended that you scrape off a couple of inches
of compost from the top of the pot and add some new fresh
compost. They will also benefit from some feeding at this
time of the year.

It is important that you do not over-water your pot plants, In
fact more plants die from too much water than from too little. They
will not need watering everyday, so the best routine is to set
aside one day per week for watering you indoor plants. Lift the pot
in your hand before you water and if it feels light then it
probably needs some water. If the pot feels heavy, it may not need
any further water.

Take a look at the bottom of the pot and see if roots are
starting to appear out of the pot. If so your plant may need to be
re-potted. Move up just one size of pot - for example- from a four
inch to a five inch. Use fresh compost when re-potting.

Growing in Raised Beds.

The modern trend being adopted by many gardeners is to grow in
raised beds. Indeed, this has many advantages and you can grow
quite a variety of vegetables as well as flowers this way. One
major benefit is that you can control the type of soil or compost
that is best for what you are growing.

Raised beds can be constructed from various materials including
wood, metal or even stone slabs. If you are using wood it is
important that you opt for treated timber to minimise the danger of
the wood rotting over time. Even so, I know one gentleman who
erected some raised beds using treated timber a few years ago and
now finds they are rotting away and will need to be replaced.

An alternative to timber is to use 'Link-a Bord' which is a
British product manufactured from 98% recycled UPVC which will not
rot. For further info visit www.linkabord.co.uk

Give Gladioli a Head Start

Corms of those tall striking blooms can be kick started now by
planting one corm into a series of 3 inch pots or large modules.
Grow these on in the greenhouse or even a cold-frame over the next
month or so and then plant them outdoors at the beginning of June
when all danger of frost is passed. If you want to ensure a
succession of lovely blooms, you can plant some corms into pots
each couple of weeks from now until June and keep a few corms for
planting straight into the ground after you plant out the
indoor-raised plants.

March 28th

Spring Forward into Summer.

At long last winter has finally gone for yet another year. This
weekend we all welcome the advent of British Summer Time, so do not
forget to put your clocks forward by one hour when you go to bed
tomorrow night.

Apart from losing one hour of sleep tonight, we should all wake
up tomorrow full of the joys of spring and looking forward to
longer days and hopefully a bit more sunshine as the temperature
begins to gradually rise. It will be a bit lighter in the evenings
which will trigger that enthusiasm to get out into the garden for
an hour or two each evening.

Already the daffodils are providing a great show in our gardens
and the parks and open spaces all around us. Indeed, those large
yellow trumpet flowers and their nice green stems and leaves
certainly are an inspiration to everyone at this time of year and
it is understandable that they prompted William Wordsworth to pen
the works of his famour poem.

Daffodils will continue to add colour to our gardens for another
month at least, but many readers might ask the question 'What do we
do once they wither and die?'

Once the daffodils fade you should nip off the spent flowers
taking great care to also nip off the large green seed pod
immediately behind the flower. Removing this pod will halt the
daffodil from producing seed and will let the bulb build up
strength for producing next year's flowers.

Additionally, do not cut back these luscious green leaves. Leave
them on the plant and let them rot down on their own. You can even
give the leaves a feed with a liquid fertiliser such as Phostrogen
or Miracle-Gro. Again, the purpose of doing this is to allow
nutrients to flow back into the bulb for next year's flower.
If you have 'daffies' growing among your lawns, then leave the
daffodils intact when you cut the grass. Let the leaves die off
naturally, otherwise the daffodils will not flower next year.

Gardeners Question Time.

Inverkip, Wemyss Bay and Skelmorlie branch of the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution are hosting a Gardeners Question Time
which will take place in Inverkip Church Hall on Wednesday
9th April.

The panel of experts will be chaired by Theresa Talbot of BBC
Radio Scotland's Beechgrove Potting Shed and will include Brian
Young of Holmes Farm, Drybridge and yours truly.

The event begins at 7pm and includes refreshments and nibbles
and there will be a souvenir stall, raffle and prize draw as well
as the sale of plants.

All proceeds are in aid of the RNLI. Come along and bring
your questions.

Touch of Colour for Mother's Day.

If you are looking for that last minute present for Mother's Day
tomorrow why not consider giving her a gift of a house plant.
As a surprise, a nice house plant - which will last for quite a
long time - is the ideal present.

Browsing round the Cardwell garden Centre just the other day, I
was really impressed by the large array of colourful plants all
adorned in attractive pots and bags and are all good value for
money. There are some plants which can be bought for less than £5
while other such as Orchids cost a wee bit more.

Some of the lower priced items are ideal for children looking
for a gift for their Mum.

Why not take a look at what is on offer, and you can always
treat your Mum to a meal in the Patio Restaurant on Sunday.

They Are Berry Good for You.

Soft fruits are ideal to grow in your own garden and they do not
take up a lot of space or require a lot of continual hard
work.

For instance, a few Blackcurrant bushes, Blackberries ,
Gooseberries and even Blueberries will give you a long lasting
plant and will yield a good harvest of fruit for many years to
come.

The health -giving properties of the dark or black varieties are
really worth growing as the fruits are really high in antioxidants
which are beneficial to your diet.

The Blueberry bushes are easily grown in a large pot - filled
with ericaceous compost - and do not take too much work in
terms of care and attention. Indeed, even the other soft
fruits can also be grown in large containers.

A wide selection of pot-grown fruits are available for planting
over the next few weeks so why not take a trip along to Cardwell
Garden Centre and have a look.

Starting Begonia Tubers

The large flowers of tuberous Begonias make a sensational
display in any garden, whether they are grown as a central feature
of a mixed container or trough or simply grown as a delightful pot
plant. Some are also ideal as a central feature in a hanging
basket, while the pendulous varieties, with their cascading blooms,
are also great in a basket or hanging pot.

Now is the ideal time to start the tubers into growth. Place the
tubers, with the concave -or dimpled side upwards into a tray of
moist peat or peat-based compost. Keep the trays in a well - lit
position away from frost and with some gentle heat. You will soon
see the new shoots emerging from the 'eyes' on the tuber. Once
they have achieved a bit a growth you can then pot them into large
pot and grow them on in the greenhouse.

Look Out the Lawn Mower.

Although many lawns are still quite soggy after the winter rains
and I would suggest that you refrain from walking over the grass
for a week or two yet, now is the time to look out the mower and
check it over. You will need it by mid April to start giving your
grass it's first cut of the season.

March 21st

Sowing Sweet Peas for Summer Colour and Fragrance.

Sweet peas are delightful flowers to have growing in your garden
during the height of the summer. With so many colours to choose
from - with many sunning pastel shades - as well as the more
vibrant hues, you will have plenty of nice flowers to pick and
bring into the house to create a touch of summer. Indeed, sweet
peas are also famed for the delicate fragrance.

Before you even start to sow the seeds you need to prepare a
deep trench in the garden where you want them to grow. Dig a trench
one spade deep and at least one spade wide, take out the soil and
fill the trench with well-rotted manure. Then replace the soil that
you removed and gently tap it down on top of the manure.

The seeds of sweet peas are fairly large and have a hard
coating, and because of this the seed can do with a little help
from you before you sow them. It is best to chip the seed
using a sharp knife and many gardeners often opt to soften the
outer coating by soaking the seeds in water for a few hours before
starting to plant the seed. Use a sharp knife to chip away a little
of the hard coating - a cut on the smooth surface at the opposite
side from the 'eye' on the seed.

Because sweet peas need a deep root system, it is best to sow
the seeds in deep root trainers which you can obtain from any good
garden centre. Alternatively, fill a tall cardboard tube - for
example, from a toilet roll - and sow into these.

It is best to use a peat-based multi-purpose compost or
John Innes No.1 compost and sow two or three seeds in each planting
them about ¾ inches deep in the compost and water well after
sowing.

Place the tubes or root trainers in place where they will get
plenty of light and protect them from frost. Once the seed
have germinated keep the seedling watered and pinch out the growing
tip to encourage the plant to bush out.

Once the plants are large enough they can be planted outside
into the prepared trench, but they will need to be supported with
canes. In a later article I will give some more tips on
growing sweet peas.

Getting to Know Your Onions.

As the weather improves and the days lengthen you can start to
think about planting onion sets. Onion sets are really small onion
bulbs that have been given a treatment to to get the onions off to
a flying start.

Begin by preparing the bed where you are going to grow them. Dig
over and then rake to a fine tilth and firm the soil. When doing
this I would advise that you incorporate a general fertiliser -
bone meal or chicken pellets, or even some 'Growmore' into the
soil.

Always add fertilisers at the rate given on the instructions on
the container and don't be tempted to over-apply. Too much can be
worse than too little.

Using your finger, or a large dibber, make a hole and place one
onion set into each hole, planting about six inches apart. Leave a
couple of feet between rows. Make sure that you plant the set deep
enough so that just the tip of the set is above the soil. Once
planted water each row. Go back and inspect the rows every
few days and re-plant any sets that have been picked out of the
soil by the birds.

When The Flowers Fade.

Having seen both the recent spring flower shows in the last
couple of weeks, I have been really bowled over by the magnificent
displays of Amaryllis bedecking the benches. I also know that
quite a lot of readers probably have one growing in their homes as
a result of having received one as a gift at Christmas.

However, once these marvellous flowers have faded, many people
ask me what they should do next. All you need to do is to snip off
the spent flower but leave the stem and the plant as it is. The
leaves often start to grow after the flower, so they may still be
growing. It will do no harm to give the plants a feed with a
fertiliser such as Phostrogen or Miracle-Gro every few weeks, as
this lets the bulb build up it's strength for next year.

Leave the plant until the stem shrivels up in a few months
time..

Creating an Edible Garden.

There is nothing better than growing your own crops of
vegetables and herbs and so the time is ripe for starting to sow
your seeds for this year's crop.

Cabbages are great to grow if you like your 'greens' and there
are so many varieties to choose from. You can plump for the
convention green cabbage and there are summer and winter types to
choose from. Another member of the cabbage family worth growing is
Savoy which is mainly a winter variety, although you can now get a
Savoy which matures in late summer. Red cabbage is also becoming
more and more popular.

For salads, lettuce is perhaps best known, but other
green-leafed kinds include Rocket and a few other types. It is best
to sow just small amounts of salad greens at regular intervals
rather than sow a lot at the one time.

Other useful vegetables include leeks, cauliflower and kale and
among the root vegetables you can include turnips, carrots and
beetroot.

So why not get busy sowing your seeds but if you do not need a
lot of plants you can wait a few months and buy 'ready for
planting' plants from a garden centre. In the meantime, I will
continue to offer more tips on growing herbs and vegetables each
week.

An Old Folk Lore On Seed Sowing.

Ever been disappointed when all your seeds don't germinate?
Well, this old tale might put your mind at rest. It goes- One for
the Rook and one for the Crow, one to die and one to
grow.

Maybe it's best just to sow generously.

March 1st Sunshine & Flowers Said it all at
Gourock Flower Show.

Gourock Horticultural Society's Spring Flower Show on Saturday
1st March was a roaring success.

With almost seven hundred entries in the show, bench space was
filled to capacity with all the pots of spring bulbs, plants and
vases of shrubs creating a colourful and fragrant atmosphere in the
Gamble Halls.

An awe-inspiring stage decoration created by Cardwell Garden
Centre showcased an array of seasonal plants and shrubs providing a
colourful backdrop to the show, and this brought many admiring
comments from the many visitors.

However, it was the many exhibits from the children of local
nursery groups, primary schools and youth organisations which
provided much interest from a host of visitors during the
afternoon. Indeed, the children's exhibits revealed a fantastic
amount of skill and innovation with their varied works of art and
all are to be congratulated for their imaginative creations.

Paintings and hand-made cards bedecked the main staircase up to
the large hall while their pots of bulbs crammed the tables in the
hall. In the craft section, wide variety of various exhibits by
both adults and children was very commendable and all showed great
skill and dexterity. A delicate sewn Christening gown submitted by
Mary Griffin won the best entry in crafts while
hand-sewn pictures and cross-stitch articles were greatly admired,
as was items of hand-knitting and sewing.

Top prize for the Best Exhibit in the show went to Evelyn
Blair's pot of stunning Amaryllis, while Jean Campbell gained
trophies for highest points in the adult bulb classes and the best
exhibit in senior citizen classes.

A class where children were asked to create something new
from something old showed many innovative skills, especially the
group exhibit from the children of the Gaelic Nursery at Whinhill
School who created a selection a cars, a fire-engine and a
road with a pedestrian crossing all made from various
spent containers. A stand-up picture of each child involved
featured on the pedestrian crossing. Another child made a little
handbag out of an old pair of trousers - indeed, a wonderful
effort.

Six-year old Lachlan Carroll struck gold with his little bowl of
near perfect Crocus to win the coveted Gwyneth Martin Trophy for
the best exhibit of live plant material in the Childrens
classes.

Prune Roses this Month

March is the ideal time to get out the secateurs and prune your
rose bushes. Before you begin make sure that your secateurs are
clean, and above all make sure they are sharp, in order to get a
nice clean cut. If you are in any doubt about the state of your
secateurs, I would recommend that you invest in a new pair.

Start by cutting out any broken or damages branches, then move
on to cut each stem to an outward-facing bud. Remove any stems
which are growing towards the centre of the bush. You can prune
roses quite hard, down to just a few inches above the ground.

It is important that you pick up all the prunings and any old
leaves that might be lying on the soil. Leaving these lying on top
of the soil will only serve to encourage diseases like black spot
and rust, both of which can form spores in the soil. If this
happens, rain can cause the soil to splash back up onto the bush
during the growing season and re-contaminate your bush.

Once pruning is complete give each bush a spray with 'Rose
Clear' to guard against black spot and rust. Also give each
bush a feed with a granular rose fertiliser - or even a handful of
bone meal- to encourage new growth. Remember, roses are
quite fast growing and are greedy feeders.

Give Marshmallow Plants the
Chop.

Perennial Lavatera - or marshmallow plants - as they are
commonly known, need to be cut down to just about eight or nine
inches above the ground during this month.

Once you have chopped them back, remove all the cuttings from
the soil and rake in a granular fertiliser around the base of the
plant. 'Growmore' or bone meal will suffice, applied at about four
ounces per square yard.

Lots of Bulbs Light-Up Port Glasgow.

Port Glasgow Town Hall was turned into a blaze of colour when
Inverclyde Council staged their annual bulb show. With lots
of entries expected from local schools, nursery groups and other
community groups, visitors can expect a really colourful
display.

Doors open at 12 noon and there will be entertainment during the
day by the dancers
of the May Hughes
School of Dancing. In addition, there will be a number of stalls
from various community groups offering a wide spectrum of goods.
Entry is free and there will be a tearoom for those who wish a nice
'cuppa'

Which Tomatoes do you Wish to Grow.

There is nothing better than the taste of your own home-grown
tomatoes, and now is the time to start your crops for this
year.

There are now a wide range of different varieties on offer from
seed companies. Along with the old favourites such as Moneymaker,
Ailsa Craig and Alicante, there are many new varieties becoming
more and more popular with gardeners. Some of these include various
cheery-sized fruits and you can also opt for the large beef-sized
types which are good for creating culinary options such as stuffed
tomatoes. Next week I will offer advice on growing various
selections of this popular salad accompaniment.

Tip of the Month.

Remember to keep putting out fresh food and water for our
feathered friends as food from natural sources is scarce at this
time of the year.

It's now the time to buy your summer bulbs such as Begonia
corms, Dahlia tubers and Lilies. Indeed, the latter can be planted
in tubs any time now. It is also the ideal time to get seed
potatoes and onion sets in readiness for planting late March or
April.

Cardwell has a massive range of plug plants available to buy and
now is the best time to start planting them.

During February and March most gardeners will be getting down to
the business of sowing seeds for their summer plants and vegetables
and here are just a few hints to help you on your way and ensure
you get the best results.

Firstly, just what is a seed? A seed is a ripened,
fertilised ovule containing a dormant embryo, capable of developing
into an adult plant. Each seed contains sufficient nutrients to
sustain the young seedling during the course of germination.

When we proceed to sow the seed, it is best to use specially
prepared seed compost like Levington Seed and Cutting compost. This
is formulated to provide enough drainage to prevent the seed from
rotting should the compost become too wet. Equally, seed compost is
low in nutrients so that the emerging seedling is not damaged by
strong fertilisers. It is important that you do not add fertiliser
to your seeds until they are well established. Too much fertiliser
will kill you seeds before they get a chance to grow.

It is also important that seed trays are clean before you start
in order to prevent disease affecting your seeds. A good cleansing
agent is Armillatox or Jeyes fluid. There are other detergents
available, but please make sure they are formulated for the task.
Many household detergents will leave a residue which can kill young
plants.

The seeds of different plants will require different
temperatures for germination, and also the time taken for seeds to
germinate will vary between different varieties. Propagators are
convenient for a good harvest of seeds and if you plan to have a
large harvest a heated propagator will speed things up
enormously!

Some seed may need light to germinate, so you should not cover
the seed with compost or vermiculite, while other seeds require
darkness in order for germination to occur.

It is very important to read all the instructions on the seed
packet before you begin, since all the relevant information is
usually given by the seed producer.

If after you have read the instructions on the seed packet and
are still unsure, please do not hesitate to ask the garden centre
staff for help with any aspect of seed germination, or any part of
your garden. The staff at the garden centre will be happy to offer
unbiased advice which can save you a lot of time and maybe even
some money! Everyone is a beginner at first, but a few hints and
tips can make the process enjoyable, rather than a chore. This
whole process can seem quite daunting if you have never done it
before, so I have compiled a brief glossary of some of the more
common terms below.

Seed: The ripened, fertilised ovule
containing a dormant embryo, capable of developing into an adult
plant.

Seedling: A young plant that has developed from
a seed.

Germination: The physical and chemical changes
that take place as a seed starts to grow and develop into a
plant.

Cotyledon: A seed leaf. The first leaf or
leaves to emerge from a seed after germination, often markedly
different from the mature leaves.

Annual: A plant that completes it's life cycle,
ie.germination-flowering- seeding - dying- in one growing
season.

Hardy: A plant that is able to withstand
year-round climatic conditions, including frost, without
protection.

Half-Hardy ;. A plant that will not
tolerate frost, or relatively cooler conditions.

Biennial: A plant that flowers and dies in the
second growing season, after germination.

Perennial: Any plant living at least three
seasons. Eg. Herbaceous plants and woody plants. ( trees and
shrubs)

Hardening-Off.: Gradually acclimatizing plants
that have been raised under cover, to cooler, outdoor
conditions.

10th May 2013

Branching Out with Brassicas in the Vegetable Plot.

Vegetables of the Brassica family include such succulent species
such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and brussel sprouts.
Brassica plants are extremely hardy plants and many can survive in
the soil well into winter, making them very useful crops for the
kitchen to last for many months.

Before you embark on growing these vegetables it is best to
consider what ones you will really want to use in the kitchen and
often it is best to grow a small number of different varieties.
Take cabbage, for example, there are summer varieties and winter
types such as Savoy which will keep you supplied with plenty of
green vegetables over a long period of time. There is even a red
variety of cabbage which can be pickled or even used as a
delightful change to your normal culinary skills. It is worth
planting maybe just a dozen of each variety rather than plant
dozens of the one kind.

Broccoli and Kale will stand very well right through the winter
months and you can harvest them just when required. Brussel sprouts
is another crop which has a long growing cycle and they taste much
sweeter once they have had a touch of frost before harvesting -
ideal for picking for your Christmas dinner.

Brassicas can be grown from seed, but if you only require
smaller quantities you can buy plants which are ready for planting
out in the garden just now. Cardwell Garden Centre now have quite a
range of these vegetable plants in stock, just ready for planting
out now.

Vegetables of the brassica family grow best in a neutral or
slightly alkaline soil. If you are in any doubt about the pH of
your soil, you can buy an inexpensive soil testing kit from our
garden centre and a simple test will let you know the state of
acidity or alkalinity in your soil.

It is usually best to increase alkalinity of the soil using lime
- two or three ounces per square yard - as this also prevents club
root. Brassicas do not like dry soil, so water regularly
especiallyin dry spells of weather. Over the coming weeks, I will
give more detailed hints on vegetable growing.

More Lessons on Lawncare.

Over the past few weeks quite a number of readers have remarked
to me that they have followed my articles on removing moss and have
been really surprised at the amount of dead moss they have raked
out from their lawn. Indeed, most of them are now tackling the
restoration of the bare patches by sowing grass seed over them.
When reseeding your lawn it advisable to use a slightly higher
quantity than the packet suggests as some of the seed may be eaten
by wild birds or rodents.

Many lawns will benefit from a tidy up of the edges, and indeed
nicely trimmed edges certainly enhance the look of your lawn, Do
this using a half-moon edging tool rather than using a spade, since
many spades have slightly curved edges. Use a straight edge to
guide you, along with the half-moon edging tool, and you will
certainly make your lawn look really amazing.

Avoiding the Perils of Pricking Out.

Gardeners who opt for raising their plants from seed find
themselves faced with the task of pricking out the young seedlings
and planting these into small pots or cell trays to grow on.

This job needs some tender care, especially when handling the
tender young plants. Handle them by their leaves and not the stem,
as this can cause bruising and other damage to the plants.
When planting into pots or modular cell trays ensure that you plant
deep enough so that the leaves are just above the level of the
soil. Doing this will ensure good strong plants rather than have
them growing weak and straggly. Water them using tap water which
has been acclimatised to the temperature of the greenhouse. Avoid
using rainwater to water your plants at this stage of growth.

Give Established Hedges a Treat.

Many hedges are looking just a tad sad after the ravages of
winter, and given the high rainfall last year, many hedges might be
in need of a little bit of nutrition. If you feel your hedge is
looking a little bit under the weather, rake in some bone meal
around the base of the hedge. This should provide a bit of feeding
to last the hedge over the next couple of years.

Frost Protection is Vital.

Over the next week or two summer bedding plants will be making
their appearance in many retail outlets and garden centres. It is
worth noting that summer bedding plants are not frost hardy and
therefore should be protected from frost until late May or early
June in this area.Frost protection fleece is ideal for this and can
easily put on at night. It should be removed in the morning so as
to avoid an unwanted build up of moisture which can lead to fungal
growth on your plants.

May is a Time of Great Growth in the Garden.

As we embark on the month of May it is important period for
making those final preparations for summer. However, there is a
need for some caution as there is still frost about during the
night and early morning. For instance, just last Saturday, I had to
use de-icer on my car windscreen to remove a film of ice just after
8 o'clock. Summer bedding plants are not frost hardy, and hence
will need protection from the occasional snap of frost. Keep an eye
on the weather forecast until the end of the month, when the threat
of frost has passed. It's a good idea to have some frost protection
fleece handy in case you need to protect your plants. Only use the
fleece overnight and remove it in the morning to avoid a build up
of moisture.

The same applies to hanging baskets, they can be planted up just
now but keep them inside for the next few weeks.

Tall growing perennials will need support as they start to grow
in order to keep them straight and upright. Clematis needs to be
tied to control their climbing habit in the direction you would
like them to grow. Try and tie rambling roses as horizontal as
possible as this will restrict the flow of sap and increase the
number of side shoots resulting in more flowers.

Growing Cauliflowers.

Many gardeners find that Cauliflowers can be just a tad
difficult to grow successfully in their gardens. However, the
following tips should help you to get some good results.

Firstly, spacing is important. Cauliflowers need a minimum
distance between plants of about 16 inches but give a bit
more space to late season varieties. Allow at least 2 feet between
rows.

When planting out. Dig a hole about 4 to six inches deep and put
a heaped tablespoonful of lime into the hole. Scatter about
the same amount round each plant after planting. Put down slug
pellets after planting. Water when necessary but when the plants
begin to bulk up and the developing curds are around four inches
round, increase the watering to every other day and give
half-gallon to each plant.

When the curds are near to maturity, ties the leaves up over the
curds with string in order to keep the curd shaded and as white as
possible.

Don't Forget Your Pond.

If you have a pond in your garden, pond weed needs to be dealt
with regularly before it becomes too troublesome and harmful to
pond life. Make sure you leave any weeds you remove by the side of
the pond for a good while in case any pond life is harbouring among
the pond weed. This allows them to make their way back into the
pond. Make sure any new aquatic plants are well established first
before you attempt to begin stocking the pond with fish.

22nd March 2013

Water With Care

When potting up young plug plants into cell trays or small pots
,watering will be essential to keep these plants - and indeed,- any
young seedlings growing strong over the next few months.

While water is vital for growth, too much water will be
detrimental to the plants. It is important not to over-water them
as this can cause the roots to rot. Just keep the compost moist -
not soaking wet.

When you water young seedlings it is best not to use the garden
hose. The high pressure of a hose pipe may be damage tender and
fragile young plants. Additionally, the mains water will be quite
cold at this time of year, and the sudden cold shower is sure to
shock the tender young seedlings. The best approach to watering is
to use a watering can with a very fine rose on the end of it. Also
keep the watering can - filled with water- in the greenhouse so
that the temperature of the water will match that of the
plants.

12th March 2013

A Great additive for Seed Sowing

When you are sowing seeds, the instructions on some seed packets
will tell you that some seeds need to be covered over with seed
compost before germination will take place. However, rather
than use seed compost for this task you can opt to use vermiculite,
and indeed it's use has many advantages.

But what is Vermiculite? Vermiculite is a mineralogical
name given to hydrated laminar magnesium-aluminium-iron silicate
and it resembles mica in appearance. It also has insulating
properties, and it is sterile and hence free from pests and
diseases. Covering your seeds to the required depth with
vermiculite is worth considering, and you can also add it to the
compost when pricking out young seedlings. It will help improve
drainage but yet hold moisture and allow air to reach the
roots..

Caring for Acers.

Many gardeners simply love Acers in their garden and these small
trees, which are actually Japanese Maples, provide a bit of welcome
architecture to any garden with the added bonus of lovely coloured
leaves. Many are also grown for their shape too and this also will
enhance your garden.

One of the many questions I am asked is about when and if they
should be pruned. The answer is that generally Acers do not need to
be pruned at all. By nature they are slow growing, and hence
pruning is not usually necessary. However, sometimes you do need to
lightly prune them just to retain their shape or to remove damaged
branches.

If you do have to lightly prune, you must do it soon before the
sap starts to rise, otherwise new cuts will tend to bleed.
You can give a light feed in early spring but do watch out
for black fly.

Growing from Plug Plants.

With the plug plant season now about to start in earnest I
want to feature on the steps needed to be taken to successfully
grow these little plants on until ready for planting out in the
garden by early summer. With any plug plants, it is vitally
important that you don't let them dry out. You also need to pot
these on into small pots or cell trays. The latter are available in
various sizes and are obtainable in Cardwell Garden Centre.

Use new fresh multi-purpose compost when potting-up these small
plants. Don't be tempted to use old compost which you have had
lying about since last year, as this could have decomposed,
creating toxins which could be harmful to your new
plants. Gently ease, or pull the plug plant from it's original
tray and replant into cell trays or 3 inch pots containing fresh
compost. I often find it useful to use a little bit a split cane to
push the plug from it's original tray. Gently firm the plant into
the compost in it's new abode and then water each plant
carefully. Keep the plants in a light but frost-free location
- such as an unheated greenhouse, but do not let the overnight
temperature fall below 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keep a Look-Out for Frost.

Over the next couple of months we can still get some severe
frosts during the night and early morning. My advice is to
watch the weather forecasts and if heavy frosts are on the horizon
make sure you cover tender young plants with garden fleece ,
or even a few layers of old newspaper. Keep off lawns if they are
covered with frost, otherwise you can damage the grass.

Trimming Winter Heather.

Most of the winter heather which has given a bit of colour to
the garden over the dull dark days of winter, will be starting to
fade now. As with most heather, they do need to be trimmed after
flowering and now is the time to do this. Lightly trim off all the
old flowers, taking care not to cut into old dark wood. Perhaps the
best way to trim off the old flower spikes is to use your garden
shears. Remember, just a light trim is all that is needed to
remove the old flowers.

Get the Secatuers Out.

Perennial Lavatera - or the marshmallow plant as it is often
known - should be pruned back to about nine inches above the ground
during this month. After pruning, rake some general fertiliser such
as bone meal or 'Growmore' around the base of the plants.

Hydrangea - the Mop Head varieties- should have all the old
flower heads trimmed off now but do not be tempted to prune
these bushes down, because, you will prevent any flowers from
appearing for the next three years. Should your bushes become
too cumbersome, remove only one third of the stems taking them down
to ground level, selecting only those that flowered last
year. Otherwise, leave your bushes untouched.

1st February 2013

Getting ready for Sowing Seeds.

During February and March most gardeners will be getting down to
the business of sowing seeds for their summer plants and vegetables
and here are just a few hints to help you on your way and ensure
you get the best results.

Firstly, just what is a seed? A seed is a ripened,
fertilised ovule containing a dormant embryo, capable of developing
into an adult plant. Each seed contains sufficient nutrients to
sustain the young seedling during the course of germination.

When we proceed to sow the seed, it is best to use specially
prepared seed compost like Levington Seed and Cutting compost. This
is formulated to provide enough drainage to prevent the seed from
rotting should the compost become too wet. Equally, seed compost is
low in nutrients so that the emerging seedling is not damaged by
strong fertilisers. It is important that you do not add fertiliser
to your seeds until they are well established. Too much fertiliser
will kill you seeds before they get a chance to grow.

It is also important that seed trays are clean before you start
in order to prevent disease affecting your seeds. A good cleansing
agent is Armillatox or Jeyes fluid. There are other detergents
available, but please make sure they are formulated for the task.
Many household detergents will leave a residue which can kill young
plants.

The seeds of different plants will require different
temperatures for germination, and also the time taken for seeds to
germinate will vary between different varieties. Propagators are
convenient for a good harvest of seeds and if you plan to have a
large harvest a heated propagator will speed things up
enormously!

Some seed may need light to germinate, sow you should not cover
the seed with compost or vermiculite, while other seeds require
darkness in order for germination to occur.

It is very important to read all the instructions on the seed
packet before you begin, since all the relevant information is
usually given by the seed producer.

If after you have read the instructions on the seed packet and
are still unsure, please do not hesitate to ask the garden centre
staff for help with any aspect of seed germination, or any part of
your garden. The staff at the garden centre will be happy to offer
unbiased advice which can save you a lot of time and maybe even
some money! Everyone is a beginner at first, but a few hints and
tips can make the process enjoyable, rather than a chore. This
whole process can seem quite daunting if you have never done it
before, so I have compiled a brief glossary of some of the more
common terms below.

Seed: The ripened, fertilised ovule
containing a dormant embryo, capable of developing into an adult
plant.

Seedling: A young plant that has developed from
a seed.

Germination: The physical and chemical changes
that take place as a seed starts to grow and develop into a
plant.

Cotyledon: A seed leaf. The first leaf or
leaves to emerge from a seed after germination, often markedly
different from the mature leaves.

Annual: A plant that completes it's life cycle,
ie.germination-flowering- seeding - dying- in one growing
season.

Hardy: A plant that is able to withstand
year-round climatic conditions, including frost, without
protection.

Half-Hardy ;. A plant that will not tolerate
frost, or relatively cooler conditions.

Biennial: A plant that flowers and dies in the
second growing season, after germination.

Perennial: Any plant living at least three
seasons. Eg. Herbaceous plants and woody plants. ( trees and
shrubs)

Hardening-Off.: Gradually acclimatizing plants
that have been raised under cover, to cooler, outdoor
conditions.

30th January 2013

Countdown to Spring.

Members of Gourock Horticultural Society host the annual spring
Flower Show in the Gamble Halls on Saturday 23rd February with
support from Cardwell Garden Centre. Show schedules are now
available from committee members or can be obtained from Linda at
Woolcraft, in Shore Street, Gourock.

With classes for various spring bulbs and pot plants plus a host
of exhibits from the children of local nursery groups, primary
schools and youth organisations. In addition there will be sections
to exhibit handcrafted items from both adults and children and a
section featuring Floral Art.

Currently, members will be busy preparing their pots of bulbs
and forcing them into flower for the end of February. Even if you
haven't entered a flower show before, why not make a point of doing
so this year as we've included some handy tips below on how to
plant and take care of bulbs.

Bulbs planted earlier in the year, should have been removed from
their cold dark domain and introduced into a light but cool
environment to green-up for about a week. Bulbs for the show can
now be forced into flower by bringing them indoors to the warmth.
Keep an eye on them to ensure they do not come on too fast. Just
when they are in bud and about to flower, the bulbs can be put back
into a cool place such as an unheated greenhouse until the show
date.

For a full range of bulbs and seeds please visit Cardwell Garden
Centre where you will find one of our experts who can answer any
queries that you may have.

For further information call 633422.

31st October 2012

Give Autumn Attention to Roses.

With winter fast approaching it is time to give some thought to
your rose bushes. It is best to prune all your bushes back by half
their height at this time of the year. Autumn pruning will stop
winter winds rocking the bushes and loosening up the root ball,
which can cause the bush to die over the winter, or become infected
by a number of diseases. Addionally, you will prevent stems
from becoming broken during winter gales. It is also important
to check the ties on climbing and rambling roses and ensure all the
branches are securely fixed to their supports. Young shoots can be
easily damaged during winter gales and high winds.

Look after your garden hoses..

If you have an outside tap to connect to your garden hose, it is
advisable to turn the water off at the stopcock now to prevent
damage by freezing over the winter. When you turn the water off
make sure that you drain the hose too. Water lying in the hose-pipe
can freeze and cause the hose to split or rupture. This also
applies to any water features and fountains you have in the garden.
Drain both the pump and the water bowls to avoid any frost damage.
Covers are available for water features to help protect over the
winter.

Planting time for Spring Colour.

Over the next week or two make time to plant out spring bedding
plants such as Wallflower, Sweet William, Primroses and Polyanthus.
These, together with winter Pansies and spring bulbs will bring a
welcome splash of colour to your garden early next year. Most of
these plants are now available at Cardwell Garden Centre and are
ready for planting.

Get the Lawn Mower Ready to Mothball.

Now that the grass cutting season is past, it is time to consign
your lawn mower and strimmers to the garden shed for the winter
season. Before you put them into winter storage, however, take
time to remove all grass sticking to the undersides, using a wire
brush. Include the grass box too in this cleaning
operation. Finish by applying a spray of light oil or WD40 to
the blades and other metal parts. Remove fuel from petrol
driven mowers.

Caring for Containers.

If you have plants or shrubs growing in containers, do take the
time to raise the container a few inches off the ground using
proprietary plant feet or even a couple of bricks. This will
allow winter rains to drain easily from the compost within the
container and prevent freezing during a cold snap. Freezing can
cause ceramic pots to crack during winter.

November is Tulip Planting time.

There are many varieties of tulips available - ranging from the
dwarf rockery types, to the tall growing varieties. Available in
single and double flowering blooms, and in many colours too, tulips
can bring loads of colour to your garden from March through to late
May, depending on the varieties you choose.

All bulbs can be planted over the next couple of weeks.

3rd October 2012

Useful Hints on growing Crocus

Last week I wrote about planting crocus bulbs for a colourful display during late winter and early spring, and I know that some gardeners experience disaster due to the small bulbs being eaten by field mice and squirrels.
Indeed, these small rodents can cause a lot of despair to many gardeners, but one safe way to deter them from feasting on your bulbs is to cover the soil - or compost, if growing in containers- is to sprinkle grated soap over the surface where you have planted the bulbs.
Plan to Move Delicate Plants to a Sheltered Location.
Now that we are into October, it will not be long until the first frosts start to appear around our gardens. Although everyone hopes heavy frosts and ice are a bit distant, a drop in overnight temperatures can do untold damage to tender plants.

Rather than wait until damage occurs, it is better to start and move your tender plants indoors or relocate them to a sheltered spot on the garden. Indoor plants that you have had outside during the summer should be taken inside again. For plants which you cannot move, think about mulching the soil around them and cover them with garden fleece - obtainable from garden centres- to give extra protection.

Jobs to keep you busy in the garden.

Over the next few weeks there are plenty of tasks to keep you occupied in the garden.
It's time to harvest all your summer crops of cabbage, cauliflower and potatoes and keep cutting flowers from your borders
Don't give up on the slugs and snails, or they will bury under your soil and lay more and more eggs which will hatch out next year and cause even more devastation in your garden.

24th August 2012

Getting Hyacinths in Bloom for Christmas.

Hyacinths, with their stunning colours and fragrance, make a
welcome presence in the home during the festive season.

However, to be sure of success you have to start planting
these bulbs during the first half of September. Begin by taking a
trip along to the garden centre and look for 'Prepared Bulbs'.
These bulbs have been specially prepared for flowering at
Christmas, and are available in the popular shades of blue and
purple as well as lovely pink and yellow hues or white.

These bulbs can be grown in either bowls or pots - and if
you choose the former- you are best to plant them using bulb fibre.
For growing in pots, you can use any good quality multi-purpose
compost, preferably peat-based.

Plant the bulbs so that the neck of the bulb is just above
the surface of the compost. After planting, give the compost a
light spray of water, before placing the pots or bowls into a cool
dark place and keep them there for a period of 8 to 10 weeks.

When the shoots are around two inches above the compost,
move the pots and bowls into a cool but light position for a week
at least keeping the compost moist, before moving into a warmer
environment.

Hyacinths can cause a skin irritation in some people so if
you are susceptible to this, you should use gloves when handling
them. Gloves are available in the garden centre.

Gourock Flower Show.

Gourock Horticultural Society Autumn Flower Show takes place in
the Gamble Halls, Shore Street, Gourock on Saturday & Sunday
8th and 9th September. Doors are open from
2pm until 5pm on both days.

Attractions include exhibits of Cut Flowers, Vegetables and Pot
Plants as well as displays of Floral Art, Handicrafts. The
kitchencraft section will include home baking, jams and jellies and
even homemade vegetable soup. A host of entries from the children
of local schools , pre-school groups and youth organisations
are also expected. During the afternoon, visitors can enjoy a
welcome cup of tea and home baking in the ever-popular tearoom or
try their luck in the raffle held each day. There will also be a
plant stall.

The show will be opened on Saturday afternoon by Eric Gallagher
of Cardwell Garden Centre who are kindly supplying the stage
decoration at the show.

13th August 2012

Protecting your blooms from nocturnal nibblers.

Earwigs attack a wide range of different flowers but are particularly partial to Dahlias and Chrysanthemums and Delphiniums and Clematis among a host of others.
Most of the damage caused by earwigs result in ragged holes appearing on the petals of the flowers, thus causing distressing disfigurement to the blooms.
Earwigs tend to hide within the damaged flowers during the day, but the feed mainly at night. Indeed, leaves and buds can also be damaged and often young buds are killed off.
There are not a lot of chemicals that are effective and easy to use to rid your garden of these nocturnal nibblers, although if you can locate a crowd of them, a puffer application of a general insecticide can be useful.
By far the easiest and most effective solution is to trap the earwigs by placing an upturned plant pot on a cane and placing these around your flower beds. Fill the upturned flower pot with straw- or better still - crumpled up newspaper. The ear wigs will take refuge in the paper or straw during the day and you can remove and discard the paper each day, replacing with new paper. Doing this daily will certainly protect your beloved blooms and get rid of the earwigs.

Tomato Care.

Tomatoes seem to be slow in ripening this year according to many
gardeners I have spoken to over the past few weeks.

Once your plants have reached five trusses high, pinch out the
growing tip. It is also beneficial to remove the lower leaves below
the first truss to allow air and light to reach the fruit and
encourage ripening to take place.

War on Weeds.

Weeds just seem to growing like mad this year, so do try and keep
on top of them by regularly hoeing and hand weeding. If you do
resort to using weed-killer, make sure you pick a calm day to
spray, as even a light wind can cause the weed-killer to drift on
to your crops. Always read the directions carefully when using any
weed-killer and wear gloves and other protective clothing as
required.

Many weed-killers such as 'Round up' are now available in ready to
use spray containers avoiding the need for you to dilute before
applying.

14th May 2012

Keeping Your Greenhouse Free of Aphids.

At this time of year, flying insects such as whitefly,
greenfly and blackfly - not to mention thrips and midges can cause
great havoc in the greenhouse. Rather than reach for the chemical
sprays, you can hang a few yellow sticky traps just above your
plants.

Greenhouse pests find the yellow colour irresistible, while the
double-sided strong adhesive coating makes the strips inescapable
to the insects.

The glue is safe and non-toxic and the entire product contains
absolutely no pesticides, thus making them totally environmentally
friendly. You can buy the insect traps at Cardwell Garden
Centre.

Keep an Eye out for Gooseberry Sawfly.

Warm and damp weather provides the ideal conditions for
pests to attack various crops in our gardens, and this time of year
seems just right for the gooseberry sawfly to feast on the leaves
of our gooseberry bushes.

The sawfly, which looks very much like tiny caterpillars, can
usually be found on the underside of the leaves of the bushes. Left
unnoticed, the sawfly will devastate a bush in literally hours, so
it is important to take a close look at your bushes every other
day. If spotted on the leaves, spray your bushes immediately with
an insecticide such as 'Bug Clear' or 'Provado'. Even dousing your
bushes with soapy water will help.

Oh Deer!

Over the past few weeks I have been approached by gardeners
asking for a way to prevent deer from scoffing their treasured
plants. Although there are a number of plants which are reputed to
be 'deer proof' there is nothing totally immune to the taste buds
of these animals.

Deer usually appear in your garden quite early in the morning,
and several usually appear together - yes, maw, paw and the kids-
love to visit.

One of the best deterrents is to use a product called' Grazers'
which will deter both deer and rabbits form your plants. The
product is non-toxic - so it will not kill them - and it is also
beneficial to your plants too. 'Grazers' is available at
Cardwell Garden Centre.

Don't Forget the Stakes.

Now is the time to plant out Dahlias and Chrysanthemums in
your garden, and these tall growing plants are ideal for use as cut
flowers later in the summer. Gladioli also fall into this category.
Being tall growing, all of these will need staking as they grow
taller in the coming months, so it is advisable to put place tall
canes or stakes as you plant them. This will avoid disturbing the
root system later.

Moss on Hard Surfaces.

To remove moss from paths, walls and other hard surfaces,
drench the affected areas at a rate of 1 part Algon to 3 parts
water, or 1 part Brinton's Patio Magic to 4 parts water. Both of
these treatments are safe to use on hard surfaces like paving or
decking. We always recommend trying a small area that is out of the
way first to make sure that your surface is not stained, before
treating the whole area.

These treatments are not suitable for use in/around plants
or on lawns. If you have moss problems in these areas please ask a
member of our trained staff for advice on how to treat them.

14th May 2012

Planting Summer Bedding

Now is the time when many gardeners will be getting ready to
plant out their summer bedding plants to give a brilliant riot of
colour to their gardens during summer.

Here are a few simple tips to help you get the best results from
your plants.

Having purchased all your favourite plants, next comes the
planting of these into their final flowering positions.

If your plants have been purchased in cell trays, just push each
plant out of the tray by pushing up from the underside of the tray.
Then carefully tease out the roots before making a planting hole
with your trowel. Place the new plant into the planting hole and
gently firm it into the soil with your fingers.

Water each plant well, to help it become established into it's
new flowering position, before scattering some slug pellets around
the new plants.

Don't let your plants dry out - keep watering them -especially
during the first few weeks after planting. Even with the amount of
rain we get in the west of Scotland you need to check your bedding
plants daily for watering. Sometimes when it rains the water will
only wet the top centimetre or two, whilst lower in the soil, where
the plants roots are, is completely dry. This is even more relevant
in hanging baskets and planted tubs.

Your bedding plants will need fed every two weeks or so with
whatever food you prefer. For bedding plants we recommend a soluble
fertiliser which is fact acting, such as Miracle Gro or Phostrogen.
Slow release fertilisers can be also be used, but these should be
added to your soil or compost before planting.

Remove any flowers from your bedding plants when they are past
their best to encourage new growth.

As always, if you have any questions relating to your garden
please ask our trained staff for advice.

2nd May 2012

The Perils of Frost.

Over the past few weeks quite a number of gardeners have been
concerned that the tips and top buds of some shrubs have turned
brown as well as some of the leaves.

The good news is that this is not some kind of disease, but is
simply due to early morning frosts. Let me explain this just
a little further. March was an abnormally warm month and many
plants put on a bit of new growth a bit earlier than normal. Along
came April and the weather turned a bit colder with quite low
temperatures - for example 4 degrees and below, and this is what
caused the damage to shrubs such as Pieris, Rhododendrons,
Hydrangea and even Mahonia to name but a few.

However, nothing needs to be done. Just a week or so of warmth
and sunshine and everything will come all right.

While on the subject of frost, please remember that summer
bedding plants - perhaps with the exception of Pansies and Violas
etc - need to be protected from frost for the next few weeks.
Keep your plants in the greenhouse or a cold frame at night, or if
you have planted them out, try and protect them with frost
protection fleece or cloches.

Look out for Garden Pests.

By far, one of the worst pests around the garden at this
time of year is the dreaded slugs and snails. If you are planting
out any new tender plants over the coming weeks, take the
precaution of scattering some slug pellets around these young
plants. Slugs and snails just love to feast on young plants and
they particularly love French Marigolds.

Believe it or not, slugs have over 20,000 teeth, so they
can munch their way through your plants fairly rapidly.

Going on a nightly slug patrol is a sure way to reduce the
population of these 'slimy monsters' but don't be tempted to pick
one up and throw it over the garden wall. They have a built-in
homing device and hence will so find their way back again.

Other pests which are causing havoc in gardens just now are the
vine weevil and greenfly. The vine weevil grub - or larvae - works
away quietly under the soil and feeds on the roots of your plants.
They are easily spotted, being a white coloured grub in the shape
of a small letter c. As soon as you spot this, drench the soil or
compost with Bayer 'Provado' and repeat this a few days later.

Greenfly can attack plants both in the greenhouse and outdoors
too. Look out for the clusters of these tiny green insects and
spray immediately with a general insecticide, repeating the dose
over a couple of weeks. The application must be repeated to counter
any larvae that will hatch after the initial spray. Greenfly not
only weakens your plants but they can also spread disease from
plant to plant.

Around the Garden in May.

Plant perennials any time this month to fill in gaps in your
borders.

Feed your lawn if you haven't already done so. Ideally apply
Evergreen Complete which will feed the grass, kill moss and weeds
all in the one application.

Plant out vegetables such as Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale and main
crop Potatoes. Why not plant a few herbs too.

Gladioli corms can also be planted into your flower borders to
give a fantastic display of these tall colourful summer
flowers.

As always, please ask the staff at Cardwell for advice if you
are unsure of anything and follow sensible precautions when using
any chemicals in your garden.

When potting up young plug plants into cell trays or small pots
,watering will be essential to keep these plants - and indeed,- any
young seedlings growing strong over the next few months.